All too often, especially for photographers coming from a background such as myself (colourful + brash nightlife events), a lot of us photographers aim for the colourful/stunning/sharp/alarming/shocking portrait. All these words mean different things – but on the whole they all lend themselves to an overall term of “Striking”. I know I’m very guilty of it myself – lots of people finding their way in a skill will do the same – be it photography, painting, drawing, music etc. We will of course over-do things sometime but then see the benefits of toning things down. I try sometimes. It’s of course very understandable as being striking – these sorts of images are the ones that often inspire us most.

Just come across this interview with photographer Gregory Heisler. Although he touches on a couple of topics – such as dealing with subjects/clients – the area and topic which I found inspiring was his discussion of what he calls the “quiet” picture.